Cinnamon Applesauce Gingerbread Garland Tutorial

The holidays are a season for twinkling lights and festive decor, but they're also the most wonderful time of the year for sweet and spicy scents. Fill your home with the magical aroma of cinnamon and apples with this scented gingerbread garland that is sure to add wonder and whimsy wherever you hang it.

(Image: Trisha Sprouse)

Things You'll Need

3/4 cup applesauce

1 cup ground cinnamon

2 tbsp craft glue

Plastic wrap

Rolling pin

Gingerbread man cookie cutter

Drinking straw

Parchment paper

Puffy paint

Ribbon

(Image: Trisha Sprouse)

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 200° F.

Step 2

In a large bowl, mix the applesauce, cinnamon and craft glue together until it forms a dough.

(Image: Trisha Sprouse)

Tip

You can omit the craft glue if you like. It just helps to prevent breakage and makes the garland last longer if you'd like to reuse it for future holiday seasons.

Step 3

Form the dough into a ball and place it between two sheets of plastic wrap.

(Image: Trisha Sprouse)

Step 4

Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness.

(Image: Trisha Sprouse)

Step 5

Cut out gingerbread men shapes using a cookie cutter and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a drinking straw to cut two holes in the center of each gingerbread man so you can string ribbon through them later.

(Image: Trisha Sprouse)

Step 6

Bake in the oven for 2.5 hours at 200° F. Allow to cool when done baking.

(Image: Trisha Sprouse)

Step 7

Once cool, decorate the gingerbread men with puffy paint. I drew squiggly lines across the arms and legs to create "sweaters" and "pants" on them, and also drew smiley faces on each.

(Image: Trisha Sprouse)

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Step 8

Allow the puffy paint to dry, and then string ribbon through the holes of the gingerbread men to create a garland. Weave the ribbon from the back, pull it across the front and weave it to the back again.

(Image: Trisha Sprouse)

Hang on a mantel, in a window, or from a tree -- this gingerbread garland is sure to cause some glee!